Lawyer fights to have smuggling charges dropped

An Auckland lawyer and former Maori Party candidate accused of smuggling contraband items into prison is fighting to have the charges against her dropped.

Davina Murray is charged with providing an i-phone, cigarettes and a lighter to murderer and rapist Liam Reid in October 2011.

Ms Murray is representing herself at a defended hearing which began at the Auckland District Court on Monday.

She argued that evidence the prosecutor intends to use against her should be ruled inadmissible because it was gathered illegally. It consists of 22 phone recordings between her and Reid. The judge is yet to rule on whether the audio can be used.

A second charge against her has been dropped - that of communicating with Reid in a way that could compromise the safety of another prisoner. The charge was laid more than six months after the offence, which is outside the legal time limit.

Reid is serving a 23-year sentence for killing Christchurch deaf woman Emma Agnew in 2007 and for raping and attempting to murder a university student in Dunedin nine days later.